AXIS has helped win an appeal against the refusal of planning permission for a new scheme of 13 dwellings in Upton-by-Chester, Chester.

The development, situated on a site called White Gables, is served from a 220m long single-track access road situated next to a busy high school. Cheshire West and Chester Council Planning Committee refused the original planning application for a single reason related to perceived impacts upon highway safety and capacity.

AXIS transport planning staff demonstrated through detailed written and oral evidence that the Council were incorrect to refuse permission. The Inspector noted that “…I conclude that there is no substantive evidence to suggest that the proposal would result in an increase in the occurrence of unsafe vehicle movements during the peak network hours and/or an increased risk of conflict between vehicles and pedestrians and other road users. I consider that it has been satisfactorily demonstrated that the additional traffic which would be generated by the proposal could be accommodated safely and satisfactorily within the existing highway network and that the residual cumulative impacts of the development would not be severe.”

Lee Kendall, Technical Director at AXIS, said “It is very satisfying to be able to help our client achieve this result, having worked on this site for over 2 years. Tackling the decision required a detailed technical approach to dismantle each individual element of the refusal reason. For example, a bespoke empirical method of calculating the ‘incidence of conflict’ of two cars meeting one another along the access road was included, which was key to convincing the Inspector that the impact would be immaterial. The written evidence also included a line-by-line transposition of the Planning Committee meeting to demonstrate the irrational nature of the decision-making process in this instance. The scheme was met with a significant level of local resistance, whose concerns were addressed in a methodical manner at the appeal Hearing.”

For anyone interested in the scheme, please keep an eye on Vivio Developments website where details of the scheme will be posted soon.